DIGITAL LIFE

'Technostress': Why many older people feel shut out by the digital world

From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks. But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has helped build a wall rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services, and the constant threat of scams can be daunting.

There is a term for this unease: technostress. Once used to describe the anxiety and frustration felt by workers, it has more recently been applied to older populations struggling in our digital-by-default world.

While older people's overall digital engagement has grown over the years, about half of over 50s feel they are being left behind by modern technology.

Amid a planned public sector shake-up that would further digitize services, more than 40% of people older than 60 face barriers for accessing online government information.

More than ever, digital inclusion has become a necessity for older people to access essential services and maintain social connections. Without it, there are serious implications for their psychological, social, cognitive, physical, and financial well-being.

Our newly published research, based on interviews with 23 people aged over 65, reveals a complex relationship with technology: one that can support independence, but also create new sources of stress and exclusion.

A double-edged sword...The experiences of those we interviewed varied widely. Some used technology very little—perhaps just for texts or phone calls—while others relied upon it heavily for daily chores and work. One study participant spoke enthusiastically about using an AI assistant to support her creative writing.

But regardless of how tech-savvy they were, all felt that keeping up with digital change was a never-ending but necessary challenge. This was especially apparent for those who used tech during their working years but found fewer resources available to upskill in retirement.

Another common theme was feeling targeted by scammers due to their age. For people living on a single income or pension, the financial risk of falling victim to a scam could be devastating and put them off going online.

Broadly, we found technology to be a double-edged sword for older people. For those who felt digitally included, it helped strengthen relationships through sharing photos and videos with family overseas and provided useful access to health information.

For those who felt shut out, technology became a source of distress, frustration, and feelings of incompetence. They described struggling with online pension applications or having to relearn familiar software after unexpected updates completely changed the interface.

Some felt the accessibility features built into everyday digital devices were inadequate for their physical needs, causing them to abandon tasks because of eye strain or frustration.

Others felt digital technologies were not culturally responsive, reflecting a predominantly Western worldview. Common errors, such as the mispronunciation of te reo Māori names, could deepen feelings of exclusion and cultural invalidation.

Ageism and equity...Nearly all participants felt digital technologies were not designed with older people in mind, believing they were not viewed as a priority market by mainstream technology companies.

Yet many still blamed themselves for struggling to keep up. Some also described dismissive or impatient responses when seeking help, reinforcing feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

This may suggest a problem of digital ageism: the assumption that older people use technology less because they are unable or unwilling to engage with it.

In reality, meaningful digital participation depends on much more than willingness. It requires people to have the motivation, skills, confidence, access, trust, and support needed to engage safely and effectively.

In this context, the challenge is not about age but equity. Fortunately, many organizations and individuals across Aotearoa New Zealand are working diligently on this issue, from advocacy groups to library-based digital skills programs.

Some local companies have introduced equity products, such as age-friendly digital tablets and lower-cost mobile plans for pensioners. These efforts are essential, but more is needed.

More recent interviews with people working in the field suggest a need to dispel the myth that digital exclusion will disappear as older people increasingly become "digital natives."

Instead, digital inclusion should be viewed as a fundamental right rather than a luxury in the hands of for-profit companies. This will require targeted policy, increased collaboration across sectors, and active involvement of older people as equal partners in digital design, testing, and decision-making.

New Zealanders cannot benefit from even the most well-intended developments, such as telehealth services, if even one aspect of digital inclusion is lacking.

Without deliberate action, the shift to digital services risks widening the very inequities it is intended to reduce.

Technostress, or stress caused by excessive dependence on technology, has been identified as the cause of a series of problems in the workplace, also favoring security breaches and cybercrimes. It may seem insignificant, but in recent years more and more companies are dealing with these problems without knowing exactly what their cause is.

One of the first effects of technostress is increased turnover. The problem was reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused profound changes in the global workforce. On the one hand, many professionals began to prioritize their mental health and well-being over work, seeking companies and roles that would allow them to do so. But on the other hand, technological advances that enabled remote and hybrid work brought new challenges for employees.

The problem is increasingly prevalent and is at the root of problems such as inefficiency, increased costs, and high employee turnover. Integrating resources and simplifying the lives of professionals helps eliminate the problem.

Technostress, or stress caused by excessive dependence on technology, has been identified as the cause of a series of problems in the workplace, also favoring security breaches and cybercrimes.

One of the first effects of technostress is an increase in turnover. The problem was reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused profound changes in the global workforce. On the one hand, many professionals began to prioritize their mental health and well-being over work, seeking companies and roles that would allow them to do so. But on the other hand, technological advances that enabled remote and hybrid work brought new challenges for employees. In the case of remote work, for example, the possibility of being contacted at any time and from anywhere has added an extra layer of pressure to workers' daily routines, generating greater apprehension and technological stress.

In practice, technostress can manifest itself in various ways, which should be avoided to attract and retain the best people. Its consequences for employers, as well as related pressures such as techno-anxiety and techno-intrusion, can be significant, causing problems so critical that they can put business objectives at risk. That's why it's essential to find ways to minimize this stress, especially for remote workers and during the onboarding of new employees.

Constanze Backhauser, Chief Human Resources Officer at TeamViewer, explains that technology plays a key role here, with the use of tools that reduce pressure and its consequences. One example is TeamViewer's new user experience, which helps professionals face these challenges in ways that go beyond ease of use. “The new TeamViewer interface is so intuitive and easy to use that anyone can start using it quickly,” she says.

Constanze points out that the solution doesn't require training during onboarding in most cases, and its user-friendly and attractive design and ease of use make the experience enjoyable without causing technological anxiety. “The new interface was designed to be easy to use, well-structured, and intuitive, allowing you to navigate and take control of your remote access experience with ease,” she says.

“More than that, the solution reduces techno-stress without sacrificing user security and convenience. Software applications often force users to choose between one or the other,” says Constanze. And implementing stronger security measures can make an application more complex, less user-friendly, or less efficient. “For example, to keep cybercriminals away, a super-secure system might require users to choose strong, unique passwords that change every 30 days. But strong, unique passwords are difficult to remember, especially if they are subject to change,” she emphasizes. Constanze also believes that technology shouldn't force users to sacrifice convenience for security, which is why TeamViewer Remote was developed according to a secure design philosophy. "It's a simple concept that makes security an essential part of the software from the start," he states.

Thus, instead of adding security features later, TeamViewer was designed from the beginning to be completely secure and easy to use, even with strong encryption and advanced protection. "It's the best-performing remote access platform available, offering users end-to-end encryption, a secure remote password protocol, management access rights, two-factor authentication, brute-force protection, and single sign-on (SSO)," says Constanze.

This causes what's called process bloat, marked by the adoption of unnecessary ways of working. Both can severely slow down business and result in a list of problems, such as increased costs, reduced security, and lower productivity.

“A unified solution, like the new TeamViewer Remote, integrates many powerful features into a central space with single sign-on,” says Constanze. This is because the interface is designed to streamline operations, making employees more efficient. The platform also includes a powerful asset management solution, patch management, endpoint protection, and remote access and control, all with the ability to integrate with existing systems.

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